Parking Spaces

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many car parking spaces are provided for those working (a) in and (b) visiting her Department.

Alun Michael: The total number of people employed in Defra and its agencies is 13,710 1 and the number of parking spaces provided is 5,683. This number includes an apportionment of spaces on sites which are shared with other Departments where parking is available on a "first come, first served" basis.
	1 Headcount—ie includes part-time staff.

Army Recruitment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which months during 2004 regular Army recruitment was stopped for (a) the whole regular Army and (b) sections of the regular Army.

Ivor Caplin: There was no cessation of recruiting to either the whole regular Army or sections of the regular Army in 2004.

Meetings

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met President George Bush; and what matters were discussed.

Tony Blair: I last met President Bush in Washington on 12 November 2004. We discussed a wide range of issues including Iraq, EU/US relations and my priorities for the UK Presidency of G8. I refer my hon. Friend to the press conference I held with President Bush after our meeting, a transcript of which is available on the Number 10 website.

Magistrates Courts (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the magistrates courts which operate within the Greater London area.

Christopher Leslie: The Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority (GLMCA) has responsibility for the provision of magistrates courts in the Greater London region until the 31 March 2005. There are currently 38 magistrates courts within the GLMCA area and this figure includes the family court at Wells Street, youth and the satellite courts. They are listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Courthouse Address 
		
		
			 Bow Street MC 28 Bow Street, Covent Gardens, WC2E 7AS 
			 City of London MC 1 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4N 4XY 
			 Horseferry Road MC 70 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AX 
			 Inner London Family Proceedings Court 59–65 Wells Street, London, W1A 3AE 
			 Marylebone MC 181 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5QL 
			 Thames MC 58 Bow Road, London, E3 4DJ 
			 Barking MC East Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 SEW 
			 Havering MC 19 Main Road, Romford, Essex, RM1 3BH 
			 Redbridge MC 850 Cranbrook Road, Barkingside, llford, Essex, IG61HW 
			 Stratford MC 389–397 High Street, Stratford, E15 4SB 
			 Waltham Forest MC 1 Farnam Avenue, Walthamstow, E17 4NZ 
			 Brent MC 448 High Road, London, NW10 2DZ 
			 Barnet MC 7c High Street, Barnet, ENS 5UE 
			 Enfield MC Lordship Lane, London, N17 6RT 
			 Haringey MC Bishops Road, Highgate, London, N6 4HS 
			 Harrow MC PO Box 164, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, HA1 2JY 
			 Hendon MC The Hyde, Hendon, London, NW9 7BY 
			 Highbury Corner MC 1 Holloway Road, London, N7 8JA 
			 Uxbridge MC Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1PQ 
			 Bromley MC London Road, Bromley, BR1 1RA 
			 Belmarsh MC Belmarsh Road, London, SE28 OHA 
			 Bexley MC Norwich Place, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7NB 
			 Camberwell Green MC 15 D'Eynsford Road, Camberwell Green, SE5 7UP 
			 Croydon MC Barclay Road, Croydon, CR9 3NG 
			 Greenwich MC 9 Blackheath Road, London, SE10 8PQ 
			 Sutton MC Shotfield, Wellington, Surrey, SM6 OJA 
			 Tower Bridge MC 211 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2JY 
			 Woolwich MC Market Street, London, SE18 6QY 
			 Acton MC Winchester Street, Acton, W3 8PB 
			 Balham MC 217 Balham High Road, London, SW17 7BS 
			 Brentford MC Market Place, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 SEN 
			 Ealing MC Green Man Lane, Ealing, London, W13 OSD 
			 Feltham MC Hanworth Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 5AF 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames MC 9 High Street, Surrey, KT1 1 JW 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames MC Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2RF 
			 South Western MC 176a Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 1JU 
			 West London MC 81 Talgarth Road, London, W6 8DN 
			 Wimbledon MC Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, SW19 7JP

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

David Lammy: Since its inception in June 2003, my Department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has conducted two advertising campaigns:
	(i) A national regional poster advertising campaign on buses to promote recruitment to the magistracy;
	(ii) radio, press and ambient media targeting court fine defaulters (under the title Operation Payback).
	My Department has also conducted one campaign comprising leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the Freedom of Information Act among public sector bodies and the general public.
	The Public Guardianship Office, one of our two executive agencies, plans to run a campaign in 2005–06 to raise awareness of its services.
	All details are set out in the following table.
	
		
			£ 
			  2003–04 spend 2004–05 spend 2005–06 projected spend 
		
		
			 (a) Advertising
			 Operation Payback Phase 1, March 2004 (regional radio, press) 230,000 292,000 750,000 
			 Magistrates recruitment campaign (bus back posters) 342,000 102,000 — 
			 
			 (b) Publicity — — — 
			 Freedom of Information Act (posters and leaflets to raise awareness among public sector bodies and the general public) December 2004 to March 2005 — 300,000 — 
			 Public Guardianship Office (posters and leaflets in doctors' surgeries) — — 60,000 
			 Magistrates recruitment campaign: two DVDs for employers and potential candidates — 60,000 —

Ropetackle Site (Shoreham)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what square footage is planned for the Community and Arts facility on the Ropetackle site in Shoreham-by-Sea.

Yvette Cooper: The Deed of Agreement (Pursuant to Section 106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990) dated 10 December 2002 states the Community Facilities should be
	"measuring approximately but no more than 1,000 square metres or such smaller size as shall be agreed between the Developers and the District Council."
	Discussions are ongoing to establish a subsequent agreement between South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Adur district council. This agreement will allow for part of the Community Facilities to be incorporated into a development for an Enterprise Centre, which will provide premises for new and growing businesses in Shoreham. In return SEEDA will contribute towards the fitting-out of the remaining Community Facilities which is estimated to be in the order of 630 square metres plus mezzanine.

Cancer

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the survival rates for the common forms of cancer were in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Andrew Murrison, dated 2 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the survival rates for the common forms of cancer were in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) social class and (b) English region.
	Cancer survival rates are not available by individual year of diagnosis.
	Survival rates by socio-economic deprivation, and trends in the rates, for 20 of the major cancer sites for adult patients (15–99 years) diagnosed during 1986–99 in England and Wales were published in 2004 in the British Journal of Cancer: Coleman MP, Rachet B, Woods LM, et al. (2004). Trends and socio-economic inequalities in cancer survival in England and Wales up to 2001. Br J Cancer 2004; 90: 1367–1373.
	Information on cancer survival rates for English regions for adult patients diagnosed since 1990 have been published for three time periods (based on regions at the time of publication). These are:
	For patients diagnosed during 1992–94 and followed up to the end of 1999, by former health regions (and health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D4878.xls http://www.statistics. gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5388.xls
	For patients diagnosed during 1993–95 and followed up to the end of 2000, by former health regions (and health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5389.xls http://www.statistics. gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5392.xls
	For patients diagnosed during 1994–96 and followed up to 31 December 2001, by government office regions (and strategic health authorities) in England. These can be found at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8028.xls

Capital and Resource Budgets

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the level of the available (a) annually managed expenditure margin and (b) departmental expenditure reserve for capital and resource budgets for (i) 2005–06, (ii) 2006–07 and (iii) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The latest forecast of the level of the Annually Managed Expenditure margin for 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 was published in Table B16 of the 2004 pre-Budget report (Cm 6408). Latest plans for the resource and capital Reserves in these years were published in Table B18. These figures will be updated in the 2005 Budget.

Income Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate (a) the number of income tax payers with incomes in excess of £100,000 for (i) 2004–05 and (ii) each year from 2005–06 to 2009–10 and (b) the percentage of income tax payers with incomes in excess of £100,000 as a percentage of (A) all income tax payers and (B) all individuals in employment.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to table 3.3 "Distribution of total income before and after tax, 1998–99 to 2004–05" on the Inland Revenue website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income distribution/tables 3 december04.xls
	The table shows the number of income taxpayers with total income of £100,000 or more and the proportion of all income taxpayers they represent. The number of income taxpayers in 2004–05 with employment income, whose total income is £100,000 or more, as a proportion of all income taxpayers with employment income, is 1 per cent. Information for future years is unavailable.
	Note:
	Figures are based on the 2002–03 Survey of Personal Incomes and are in line with December 2004 pre Budget report.

Inheritance Tax

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been collected in inheritance tax in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on inheritance tax collected and other tax receipts is available at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax receipts/table1– 2.xls

R&D Tax Credits

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of research and development tax credits has been since 2000, broken down by (a) size of company and (b) industrial sector; and what the estimated value to 2014 is in each case.

John Healey: R&D tax credits were introduced for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in April 2000. The estimated value of support claimed through the SME scheme is published as National Statistics on the Inland Revenue's website (http://www.inland revenue.gov.uk/stats/index.htm).
	In April 2002, R&D tax credits were extended to other companies. The latest monitoring data show that £160 million of support has so far been claimed through this large company scheme.
	Figures on the forecast cost of R&D tax credits were provided in the Paymaster General's written answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 816W. The table breaks these figures down by scheme.
	
		
			£ million 
			  2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 SME scheme 250 260 270 
			 Large company scheme 420 440 490 
			 Total 670 700 760 
		
	
	Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million
	Information on R&D tax credits is not available by industry sector.

Stamp Duty

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue implication of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales so as to charge marginal rates of (a) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 7 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above, (b) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 5 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 8 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above, (c) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 4 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999, 8 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above and (d) 0 per cent. on property sales of £60,000 or less, 2 per cent. on sales revenue between £60,000 and £249,999, 4 per cent. on sales revenue between £250,000 and £499,999 and 7 per cent. on sales revenue of £500,000 and above.

Stephen Timms: The estimated Exchequer effect, in 2005–06 terms, of restructuring stamp duty on residential property sales according to the four schemes described in the question is given in the table. This does not include any allowance for behavioural changes or changes to reliefs.
	
		Marginal rates of SDLT on residential property and Exchequer effect of restructuring
		
			 Price of residential property Regime (a) Regime (b) Regime (c) Regime (d) 
		
		
			 £0-£59,999 (percentage) 0 0 0 0 
			 £60,000-£249,999 (percentage) 2 2 2 2 
			 £250,000-£499,999 (percentage) 5 5 4 4 
			 £500,000 and above (percentage) 7 8 8 7 
			 Exchequer effect (£ million)(3) +10 +170 -130 -290 
		
	
	(3) In 2005–06 accruals terms; negative indicates a cost.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Bassetlaw and (b) England were overpaid tax credits in 2004; and of these how many are being pursued for repayment.

Dawn Primarolo: For the number of tax credits overpayments, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 946–48W. Details of how overpayments are recovered are provided in the Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit." Wherever practical overpayments are recovered out of future tax credit payments. Where an award of tax credits has ceased and there remains an overpayment to be recovered, the Inland Revenue issues claimants with a "Notice to Pay". The claimant has the option to choose to pay back an overpayment over 12 months.

Tax Credits

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are being used to determine whether to write off tax credits overpaid to people during 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 ("What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?") sets out their approach to handling overpayments of tax credits.
	A claimant will not be asked to pay back an overpayment where it was caused by a mistake by the Inland Revenue and it was reasonable for the claimant to think their award was right.
	The Inland Revenue may also decide that a claimant should not be asked to pay back all or part of an overpayment, if this would cause hardship to the claimant and his/her family.

AIDS (Africa)

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on programmes to tackle AIDS in Africa.

Hilary Benn: Last year, I attended a series of meetings with my EU counterparts and Foreign Ministers to discuss ways of addressing reproductive health and HIV in Africa and future EC action on AIDS and other poverty related diseases. My PUSS also met with the European Commission representatives from Directorate-General (DG) Development and DG Research to discuss the need to focus on funding for new prevention technologies for HIV.
	DFID officials are engaging with the European Commission on the revision of their framework for tackling diseases of poverty called "The Programme of Action to Confront HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through External Action".

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Hilary Benn: DFID Expenditure on external consultants was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million Percentage of aid programme 
		
		
			 1996–97 161 8 
			 2003–04 213 5 
		
	
	We do not forecast future spending on this item but all costs will be contained within agreed contractual limits.

Darfur

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK aid to Darfur during recent months.

Hilary Benn: UK aid is delivered to Darfur through UN agencies, NGOs, and international organisations, the effectiveness of which is monitored through regular field visits by the British Embassy in Khartoum and the Sudan Unit, and UN reports and evaluations. I am satisfied that we are doing all that we can under difficult circumstances. For example, the joint DFID-UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) evaluation of December 2004, said the response by UN agencies, NGOs and donors was inadequate through to early 2004, but that humanitarian assistance is now getting through. It described the situation since October 2004 as "stabilising".

Free Trade (Agriculture)

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the economic effects on developing countries of allowing free trade in agricultural products.

Hilary Benn: DFID has supported a range of research examining the economic effects on developing countries of allowing free trade in agricultural products.
	This includes work on the impact of EU Dairy reform on developing countries and on Food Security, Trade and Livelihoods Links. DFID also funds the World Bank Trade Policy Development Project (TPDP) that includes analysis of agricultural liberalisation, as well as work at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation on impacts of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) agricultural policies on developing countries.
	The general results of such research are that in the short term, costs and benefits are estimated to vary across producers and consumers and net exporters and importers. However, in the long term, developing countries will gain from freer world trade in agricultural products.
	In the short term it is estimated that developing countries that are net importers of food, may see price rises when export subsidies are removed. Countries that benefit from the current distortions in global agricultural trade would also lose out (for example those that export products to the EU, receiving the same distorted higher price that EU producers receive).
	However, in the long term producers should benefit from higher prices and take advantage of lower tariffs to increase their exports. Studies have shown that liberalisation of all OECD farm policies would boost global agricultural trade volume by over 50 per cent. Also, following liberalisation, higher exports have boosted the agricultural component of economic growth in countries like Vietnam and Uganda at 4.6 per cent. and 4.4 per cent. per year respectively. This has also led to an increase in agricultural incomes and significant reductions in rural poverty.

Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI) in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: DFID has supported the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) since its inception in 2000. We provided an initial grant of £3 million in 2000 and from 2001 to date we have pledged some £35 million of which £28 million has already been disbursed. A further £7 million will be contributed in 2005–06. DFID's total contribution represents 5 per cent. of the total grants to GAVI.
	The figures are broken down as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2000–01 3 
			 2001–02 10.5 
			 2002–03 3.5 
			 2003–04 7 
			 2004–05 7

HIV/AIDS Orphans

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government will take during its G8 and EU presidencies to fulfill the commitment to champion the needs of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and Aids set out in the strategy for tackling HIV and Aids.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We will use our Presidencies of the G8 and the EU to increase action on AIDS. This will include attention to the situation of children affected by the pandemic, the orphans and vulnerable children. Committing resources to implement the "Framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) living in a world with HIV and AIDS", which is the global guidance developed by UNICEF and partners and widely endorsed by the international community, including DFID, is key. The framework is being translated into national OVC action plans—16 have been developed in Sub-Saharan Africa and more are being planned.
	DFID has announced a commitment to spend at least £150 million over three years on OVCs (of which £44 million will go to UNICEF for the development and implementation of national OVC action plans). We will be encouraging other G8 and EU member states to increase their support to national programmes. The USA has, like us, already earmarked funding and endorsed the framework as have Germany and Denmark. Canada and France also see OVCs as a priority issue, yet others have not yet followed this line.
	Along with other member states we are engaging in the consultation process towards a new Programme for Action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis which the EC expects to adopt in 2006. The current Programme for Action does not address orphans and vulnerable children and we will consider how best to address this gap in the forthcoming consultations. Discussions on the new EU Development Policy have only just started. The Commission has produced a "Consultation on the future of EU Development Policy Issues Paper", which includes consideration of the broad themes of "Development of human resources and citizens' rights' and "Combating inequality and promoting social cohesion", both of which are likely to include consideration of orphans and vulnerable children. Consultations with members of the European Parliament and other member states will take place in due course.

Microenterprises

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of microenterprises on the economic development of developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: A very large proportion of poor households own or work in microenterprises in the informal economy. In Africa, informal work is estimated to have accounted for almost 80 per cent. of non-agricultural employment and over 90 per cent. of new jobs. For women in Sub-Saharan Africa, the informal economy represents 92 per cent. of job opportunities outside agriculture.
	DFID has supported microenterprise development directly through financial services, skills, technology and buyers, and indirectly through an improved policy and legal operating environment for microenterprises. DFID's current commitments to microfinance development projects in Asia and Africa total approximately £50 million. DFID supports country investment climate assessments, and contributed to the "World Development Report 2005: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone" that highlights how governments can promote investment, productivity and job growth.
	Most microenterprises operate informally, making collecting reliable data on their impact very difficult. However, microenterprises clearly play an important role in developing economies. The average share of the informal enterprise sector in non-agricultural official GDP varies from 27 per cent. in Northern Africa to 41 per cent. in Sub-Saharan Africa. We do know however that many poor individuals would much prefer less risky employment in larger enterprises or the public sector, than self employment in microenterprises.

Adult Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many courses in the adult and continuing education sector were offered in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: There is no centrally held information on the number of courses offered. I have set out separately the numbers of learners in (i) adult and community learning and adult education courses run through local education authorities; (ii) LearnDirect; and (iii) Skills for Life, in the following tables.
	
		Adult education enrolments at 1 November 1993 to 2002 by accreditation, England Thousand
		
			  Former schedule 2—leading to an accredited qualification Former non schedule 2—not leading to an accredited qualification All enrolments 
		
		
			 1993 268 829 1,097 
			 1994 370 714 1,084 
			 1995 326 828 1,153 
			 1996 350 882 1,232 
			 1997 331 731 1,062 
			 1998 370 745 1,115 
			 1999 332 722 1,054 
			 2000 375 666 1,041 
			 2001 374 679 1,052 
			 2002 380 662 1,042 
		
	
	Source:
	Local education authorities
	The table covers adult enrolments on courses offered by local education authorities (LEAs). In April 2001, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) assumed funding responsibility for both LEA-secured adult and community learning and for former Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) funded provision. For 2003/04, the LSC introduced a new approach to collecting data on adult and community learning. The new data collection is more harmonised with other LSC funded learning (for example further education) and allows more flexible analysis. However, it is not possible to form a consistent historical series from the old and new data collections. Using the new data and methods, in 2003/04, a total of 842,000 learners were enrolled on Adult and Community Learning programmes.
	The figures in the following table show the numbers of learners on LearnDirect provision in England in each year since 2000/01, the earliest year for which figures are available.
	
		Learners on LearnDirect provision, England Thousand
		
			 Academic year Learner 
		
		
			 2000/01 78 
			 2001/02 340 
			 2002/03 450 
			 2003/04 511 
		
	
	Source:
	LearnDirect
	The final table shows the number of enrolments on Skills for Life courses in England since 2000/01—the earliest year for which figures are available.
	
		Enrolments on skills for life courses, England Thousand
		
			 Academic year Enrolment 
		
		
			 2000/01 726 
			 2001/02 1,068 
			 2002/03 1,295 
			 2003/04 1,438

Higher Education Entrants

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 18-year-olds resident in Burnley entered higher education in the academic year 2002//03.

Kim Howells: The recent HEFCE publication "Young participation in higher education" (HEFCE 2005/03) looks at the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency. A discussion of the participation divisions and trends (18-year-olds in 1994 to 18-year-olds in 2000) for constituencies is contained in the report (sections 2.12, 3.8 and 4.1).
	In addition, participation rates for parliamentary constituencies based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar). These indicate that, for the cohorts reaching 18 between 1997 and 1999, 23 per cent. of young people living in Burnley constituency entered higher education at age 18 or 19 (the English average for these cohorts is 29 per cent.).

International Students

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effect on the UK's ability to recruit international students by increased charges for visa extensions as proposed by the Home Office.

Kim Howells: In September 2004 a joint project team—comprising representatives from the Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the British Council—was asked to improve the evidence base around international students, and to undertake an assessment of the likely impact of increased leave to remain fees to attract more international students to the UK.
	The outcomes of this work will be made available, alongside a regulatory impact assessment for the education sector, when the Government announce their response to the Home Office Consultation on "Review of Charges for Immigration Applications".

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure by her Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on the Department's central advertising and publicity budget is set out as follows.
	In addition to expenditure from this central budget, expenditure from budgets allocated to individual programmes will also include spend on publicity related activity. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to separately identify all such publicity related expenditure.
	It is, however, possible to identify separately the Department's total expenditure on advertising, and this is set out as follows.
	
		Advertising and publicity budget
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1996–97 n/a 
			 1997–98 10,879 
			 2003–04 15,500 
			 2004–05 (4)15,108 
		
	
	(4) The figure for 2004–05 is the estimate of expenditure for the current financial year.
	
		Total departmental spend on advertising
		
			  £000 1 
		
		
			 1996–97 7,538 
			 1997–98 9,992 
			 2003–04 11,210 
			 2004–05 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = costs not available at this point.
	(5) These figures include spend on advertising from the central advertising and publicity budget.
	Financial information for years beyond 2004–05 is yet to be formally agreed.

Youth Clubs/Services

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth clubs were available for young people to use in (a) England, (b) Kirklees and (c) Huddersfield in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: Youth clubs are delivered locally by local authority youth services and National and local Voluntary youth organisations. Information is not held centrally on the number of youth clubs run by each individual local authority.

Youth Clubs/Services

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was available for youth services in (a) England and (b) Kirklees in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The main source of funding for the Youth Service in the past has been within the local government finance settlement and part of the Education Standard Spending Assessment/Formula Spending Shares. Until 2003–04 there was no separately identifiable funding for the Youth Service. From 2003–04 and the introduction of Formula Spending Shares, there has been a Youth and Community sub-block containing unhypothecated resources for the Youth Service, among other items. The figures for England and Kirklees for the Youth and Community sub-block are in the following table. The local authority decides how much of this is spent on the Youth Service.
	
		
			   £ million 
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2003–04 513 4.3 
			 2004–05 539 4.5 
			 2005–06 570 4.7 
		
	
	The Transforming Youth Work Development Fund (TYWDF) provided the following levels of public funding for youth services in England and Kirklees during the years 2002–05
	
		
			   £ million 
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2002–03 20 169,787 
			 2003–04 8.8 65,627 
			 2004–05 8.5 67,556 
		
	
	The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) Fund provided the following levels of public funding for youth services in England and Kirklees during the years 2002–05
	
		
			   £ million 
			  England (including Kirklees) Kirklees 
		
		
			 2002–03 7 57,334 
			 2003–04 8 65,439 
			 2004–05 5.5 44,989

Newspapers/Periodicals

George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the (a) newspapers and (b) periodicals taken by his Department in each year since 1997; and how much the Department spent on each in each year.

David Miliband: Estimated expenditure on newspapers and periodicals for the Department in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Estimated expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 51,000 
			 1998–99 27,000 
			 1999–2000 16,000 
			 2000–01 76,000 
			 2001–02 73,000 
			 2002–03 90,000 
			 2003–04 75,000 
		
	
	These figures have been taken from expenditure paid to the Department's central supplier of newspapers and periodicals; however, units within the Cabinet Office may use their own arrangements to make such purchases. In these instances the information is not recorded centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Public Service Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with officials from the public sector unions on public service reform.

Alan Milburn: holding answer 31 January 2005
	As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster I have not held formal discussions with public sector unions on the subject of public services reform. However, my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Miliband) chairs regular meetings of the Public Services Forum (PSF) which bring together public service unions and employers to discuss reform issues. The forum, established in September 2003 aims to improve the dialogue between unions, Government and public service employers on public services reform.

Age Discrimination

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to protect workers over 65 years from unfair dismissal.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under current unfair dismissal rules, employees of any age are entitled to make certain types of unfair dismissal claims where dismissal is for specified reasons. Employees cannot make general unfair dismissal complaints, however, if they have reached their employer's normal retirement age, or, in the absence of a normal retirement age, the age of 65. In its last consultation on the forthcoming age regulations, "Age Matters", the Government proposed to abolish this upper age limit. This would mean that employees of all ages would be able to complain about any unfair dismissal. However, dismissal at a justified retirement age for the reason of retirement will potentially be a fair dismissal.
	The Government are currently finalising proposals on this matter in the course of preparing regulations to outlaw unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training. It aims to consult on the draft regulations later this year. The regulations will come into force on 1 October 2006.

Bank Accounts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to assist people who are unable to open bank accounts due to a lack of key identification documents, with particular reference to (a) the elderly, (b) the disabled and (c) non-UK nationals.

Stephen Timms: I have been ask to reply.
	The Money Laundering Regulations 2003 require the banks to satisfy themselves as to the identity of their customers. It is important to foster an identification regime that does not constrain access to financial services and deals sensibly and sensitively with special groups.
	The UK approach to anti-money laundering controls is flexible and risk-based with controls imposed in a cost-effective and proportionate way. High-level objectives are set out in the Money Laundering Regulations but the details of implementation are left to industry-produced guidance. In the case of the banks this is the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) Guidance Notes. The JMLSG Guidance Notes provide flexibility for vulnerable groups such as the disabled, those in care homes or sheltered accommodation, and for foreign nationals. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) Money Laundering Sourcebook also includes guidance on financial exclusion, which aims to help relevant firms ensure that, where people cannot reasonably be expected to produce detailed evidence of identity, they are not denied access to financial services, and are able to prove their identity by alternative means.
	Last year, FSA set up a working group of key stakeholders to look at the identification issue. The group comprises representatives of trade bodies and practitioners, consumers, government, law enforcement, credit reference agencies and forensic consultants. As part of this work, the FSA published a report in October on customer identification, "ID—defusing the issue: A progress report", making proposals to the JMLSG. It proposed in particular including in a revised version of the JMLSG guidance notes, the scope for greater reliance on a single document to confirm ID and how firms should use electronic verification services methods.

Energy Policy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of developments in the renewable energy industry in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for renewable energy development in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK.

Mike O'Brien: The prospects for renewables in Scotland is very good.
	In 2003 the Renewables Advisory Board commissioned the Supply Chain Gap analysis to look at the state of the renewables industry within Scotland and the rest of the UK. The aim of the study is to assist agencies in determining the most effective means of targeting their effort and resources. This report; made a number of recommendations for renewables both in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
	Government have set a target that by 2010, 10 per cent. of electricity will be generated from renewable sources and an aspiration to double this by 2020. 10 per cent. of supply from renewables in 2010 would save approximately 2.5 MtC per year if the equivalent amount of energy were generated from gas. This is a UK target with specific Scottish issues being a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Fuel Poverty

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the likely change in the number of households containing young children that are fuel poor as a result of recent increases in energy prices;
	(2)  what measures are being taken to alleviate the impact on fuel poverty in households containing young children of recent increases in energy prices.

Mike O'Brien: The number of people in fuel poverty fell by three million, from 5.25 million in 1997 to 2.25 million in 2003.
	Analysis of the overall effects of changes in fuel prices and incomes suggests that the total number of vulnerable households in fuel poverty is likely to rise by a limited amount in 2004 and 2005—perhaps by up to 200,000 households in England, where vulnerable households are defined as those containing children, the elderly, the disabled or someone with long term sickness. It is not possible to break this figure down further.
	Data from the 2001 English House Condition Survey shows that 15 per cent. of the 1.4 million vulnerable fuel poor households contained young children.
	Responsibility for tackling fuel poverty is devolved, and therefore the devolved administrations will be looking at how they each will meet their fuel poverty targets. In England, families claiming certain income and disability-related benefits with young children are eligible for assistance under Defra's Warm Front programme.

Launch Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid by her Department in launch aid in each year since 1997; how much has been repaid since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the effect of the aid on the creation of jobs.

Jacqui Smith: The Government's continued support through Launch Investment (LI) has secured high value jobs in the most important civil aerospace programme in the UK. It has been estimated that the support since 1997 would generate and safeguard over 100,000 jobs over the life of the programmes on new civil aerospace programmes in the UK. These are long-term programmes (more than 30 years) and therefore the precise number of jobs generated and safeguarded would not be known for some time.
	The following figures are the payments and receipts for LI for the years 1997–98 to 2003–04 inclusive.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Financial year Payments Receipts 
		
		
			 1997–98 57.9 123.1 
			 1998–99 50 177 
			 1999–2000 66.4 201 
			 2000–01 52.6 147.8 
			 2001–02 188.7 142.5 
			 2002–03 258.2 108.2 
			 2003–04 323.6 108.2 
			 Total 997.4 1007.8

Burma

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reports his Department has received of crimes against humanity committed by the government of Burma in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The British Government are one of the strongest critics of the Burmese regime's abuses of human rights. We are aware of a consistent pattern of serious violations over many years, particularly against ethnic groups. These have been highlighted in successive UK co-sponsored resolutions on Burma in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. But we do not consider that the atrocities constitute "crimes against humanity", which have specific definitions under international law. Nor does the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro, use these terms to describe the situation there.

Burundi

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with members of (i) the Government of Burundi and (ii) the armed forces of Burundi concerning the security needs of refugee (A) camps and (B) groups in Burundi, with particular reference to the Banyamulenge; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The UK, working together with the United Nations and other international partners, has made clear to the Burundian authorities, including the armed forces, of the need to protect refugees of all communities living on Burundian territory.
	Both before and following the massacre at Gatumba on 13 August 2004, we, along with international partners and the UN Mission in Burundi, urged the Burundian authorities to take additional steps to improve the security situation of refugees, such as moving camps holding Banyamulenge groups away from border areas. However, many Banyamulenge wanted to remain as close to their homes in South Kivu as possible.

Central Africa

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the scale and (b) the nature of activity by the Conseil national pour la défense de la democratie/Forces pour la défense de la democratie in (i) the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (ii) Tanzania and (iii) Burundi since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie/Forces pour la Defense de la Democratie (CNDD-FDD) is a former rebel group that operated in Burundi, from Democratic Republic of Congo territory and was alleged to have infiltrated Burundian refugee camps in Tanzania.
	Although the CNDD-FDD was not party to the Burundian peace agreement of August 2000 (the Arusha Accord), it subsequently signed ceasefire agreements with the Transitional Government of Burundi in December 2002 and November 2003. Its leaders have since joined the Transitional Government and are working towards elections by 30 April 2005. Its forces are being integrated into the new national army.

EU Constitution Treaty

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Foreign Office staff worked on the compilation of the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, released on 26 January; how many man-hours were allocated to its compilation; how many man-hours were consumed; what consultations concerning this publication were held with bodies outside his Department; and what costs were incurred.

Jack Straw: At least 11 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff were involved at times with drafting the Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The FCO does not keep a record of man-hours worked on individual projects. The Commentary represents the considered view of the Government as a whole. I refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply I gave to him today on costs involved in its publication and distribution (UIN 213187).

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Sudanese authorities regarding the cases of (a) Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam of the Sudan Social Development Organisation and (b) Mr. Abu-aminaa of the Sudanese Army.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about the arrest and detention of Dr. Adam and of Mr. Abu-aminaa. We have raised Dr. Adam's case numerous times with the Sudanese authorities since his arrest in December 2003 and will continue to do so. I have asked our Ambassador in Khartoum to raise the case of Mr. Abu-aminaa with the Sudanese Government.

Torture-obtained Information

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has used information obtained by the use of torture by another country since May 1997.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 11 January 2005, Official Report ,column 413W.

Travel Costs

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: holding answer 9 December 2004
	The costs of Ministerial travel for five Ministers prior to Financial Year 2001–02 and six since are laid out in the table below.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Financial year Overseas travel UK travel 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,659,098 31,960 
			 1998–99 1,395,663 40,308 
			 1999–2000 1,971,737 34,894 
			 2000–01 1,881,679 33,988 
			 2001–02 1,681,127 37,064 
			 2002–03 1,745,692 39,902 
			 2003–04 1,649,520 24,401 
		
	
	The budget, projected spend, for the 2004–05 Financial Year is £1,514,530 for overseas travel and £23,400 for UK travel.
	Details of travel costs for special advisers and officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, travel costs for those advisers who accompany their Ministers overseas are included in the annual list of Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers.

Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office is not responsible for any official residences.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on (a) indoor bought plants, (b) indoor hired plants, (c) outdoor bought plants and (d) outdoor hired plants in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. No expenditure was incurred on bought or hired outdoor plants; the amount spent on indoor plants was is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Indoor bought plants Indoor hired plants 
		
		
			 1999–2000 Nil Nil 
			 2000–01 Nil 1,154 
			 2001–02 Nil 2,769 
			 2002–03 Nil 2,011 
			 2003–04 328 1,685 
		
	
	The costs for indoor hired plants include the supply and maintenance of the plants. The costs for hired plants related to Meridian Court, Glasgow. This contract ended in December 2004.

Fuel Poverty

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on tackling fuel poverty in Scotland in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent £766,857,750 on winter fuel payments in Scotland in the years 1999–2000 to 2003–04 and £14,795,457 on cold weather payments in Scotland in the years 1997–98 to 2003–04. Figures are not available for the years 1997–98 and 1998–99 for winter fuel payments. Cold weather payments costs are based on estimated qualifiers. The figures for each of the relevant years are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Winter fuel payments Cold weather payments 
		
		
			 1997–98 Not available 110,415 
			 1998–99 Not available 90,389 
			 1999–2000 138,934,500 185,733.50 
			 2000–01 150,447,500 8,129,672 
			 2001–02 151,897,500 2,831,511.50 
			 2002–03 153,854,000 2,925,071 
			 2003–04 171,724,250 522,665 
		
	
	In addition, the Scottish Executive has responsibility for the central heating programme and the warm deal scheme.

Burglars

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) householders and (b) shop-owners who have injured burglars on their property have been charged but not prosecuted by (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) Crown courts in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  in how many cases where (a) householders and (b) shop-owners have injured a burglar on their property it has taken more than (i) three months and (ii) six months from the start of the investigation for charges to be brought;
	(3)  how many (a) householders and (b) shop-owners who have injured burglars on their property have been investigated but not charged in each of the past 10 years.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 24 January 2005
	Statistics of persons investigated for or charged with crimes are not collected centrally.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on first-class travel in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The travel and subsistence policy for the core Home Office currently allows civil servants first class travel for official journeys for the following:
	(1) Rail—UK and overseas
	(2) Air—UK and overseas
	(3) Ferry and Eurostar—overseas.
	Policy on class of travel allowed for each type of travel is given as follows:
	Rail travel
	The class of rail travel to which staff are entitled is as follows:
	
		
			 Grade Class of travel (including travel by sleeping berth) 
		
		
			 SEO (and equivalent and above) First class 
			 HEO (and equivalent and below) Standard class 
		
	
	Sea travel
	Staff are entitled to travel first class regardless of grade.
	Air travel
	The class of air travel is governed by the airlines' fare structure on the various routes, the grade of the member of staff travelling, and the duration of the flight. Entitlements are as follows.
	The table details the total travel expenditure for the years requested.
	
		
			   £ 
			  UK airfares Overseas airfares UK train Overseas train Overseas ferry fares Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 119,866 110,297 151,930 2,203 0 384,296 
			 1997–98 66,742 168,342 384,618 0 285 619,987 
			 1998–99 107,276 192,583 488,488 8,717 0 797,064 
			 1999–2000 194,399 314,231 776,013 28,041 10 1,312,694 
			 2000–01 304,941 427,627 1,202,930 45,667 0 1,981,165 
			 2001–02 453,745 517,073 1,669,004 12,189 0 2,652,011 
			 2002–03 395,456 381,706 2,172,393 8,394 0 2,957,949 
			 2003–04 987,972 415,106 1,939,607 21,178 0 3,363,863 
		
	
	The increases in travel costs since 2000 can be largely attributed to changes in strategy within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate including increased staff numbers and the need to travel as a result of new policy initiatives and targets for improved IND performance. Other contributing factors have been related to providing advice to the organisers of the 2002 Football World Cup in Japan and Euro 2004 in Portugal and the creation of new units to support the police reform agenda.

Departmental Policy

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the South Dorset constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.
	For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the Dorset police force increased by 169, from 1,284 to 1,453. The Government's introduction of Community Support Officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 33 CSOs on Dorset streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, Dorset has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 27per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 25 per cent.
	Dorset police force will receive £66.0 million in general grants in 2005–06, an increase of 3.75 per cent. (£2.4 million). Dorset benefits from the decision to provide a funding floor of 3.75 per cent. If the funding formula had been strictly applied, the force would have received £4.2 million less. General grants funding to Dorset police has increased by 22 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, Dorset will also receive around £5 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the Chief Constable.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and anti-social behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Two CCTV projects in the Weymouth and Portland CDRP area received a total of £691,489 from the CRP.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £380,488 has been allocated to Weymouth and Portland CDRP and £295,714 to Purbeck CDRP under these initiatives. A further £1.98 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office Regional Director in the South West for CDRP capacity building across the region.
	The Government's Crime Reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from anti-social behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Dorset a total of 56 anti-social behaviour orders have been issued as of 27 January 2005, including eight in Purbeck and 12 in Western Dorset (which includes Dorset West and Weymouth and Portland). Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.
	Tackling drug misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10-year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the House Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focusing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Dorset has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Dorset Drug Action Team amounted to £1.58 million, rising to £2.09 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the South Dorset constituency can be obtained from the Dorset Drugs Action Team For contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.
	The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the "futurebuilders" fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website, http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
	This year, 2005, is the year of the volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org.
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Essex/Southend Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prosecutions for (a) failing to provide a breath test and (b) failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis (i) Essex Police and (ii) Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many prosecutions for (a) disobeying a police constable stopping traffic and (b) failing to stop for a police constable (i) Essex Police and (ii) Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many prosecutions for failing to comply with a road sign (a) Essex Police and (b) Southend Police have brought successfully in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for Essex Police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area, 1997 to 2002 (latest available) is given in the tables.
	2003 data will be available in March 2005.
	
		Table A: Court proceedings for specific motoring offences within (a) Essex Police Force Area(7) and(b) South East Essex Petty Sessional Area (PSA), 1997 to 2002 Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Essex Police Force Area(7)   
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S. 7 (6)] 226 240 297 203 243 340 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S 7 (6)] 9 12 13 — 1 — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 122 128 121 58 50 62 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 1,175 1,187 923 1,161 1,391 1,406 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] 24 961 926 1,166 806 25 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 201 134 149 134 81 132 
			
			 South East Essex PSA 2, 3   
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S. 7(6)] 54 49 79 52 62 75 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 2 4 4 — — — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88S6(4)] 30 27 26 10 16 15 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 560 545 417 576 604 633 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] — 1 5 10 1 — 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 39 28 30 37 19 23 
		
	
	(7) Covers both magistrates' courts and the Crown Court.
	(8) Covers magistrates' courts only.
	(9) Covers Southend and includes parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	
		Table B: Findings of guilt at all courts for specific motoring offences within Essex Police Force Area, 1997 to 2002 Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Breath test and specimen offences:   
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S. 7(6)] 197 202 249 176 214 282 
			 In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath it at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 9 9 11 — — 1 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 59 42 52 41 30 27 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 1,036 1,063 802 1,021 1,252 1,262 
			 Driving on prohibited road [RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] 23 938 902 1,094 717 16 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 121 82 103 93 52 84 
		
	
	
		Table C: Findings of guilt at all courts for specific motoring offences within South East Essex PSA 1, 2 1997 to 2002 Number of offences
		
			 Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Breath test and specimen offences: 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88 S. 7 (6)] 44 37 69 48 58 62 
			 In charge or a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [RTA88S7(6)] 2 3 4 — — — 
			 Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for preliminary test. [RTA88 S6 (4)] 11 7 9 6 12 4 
			
			 Neglect of traffic directions:   
			 Failing to comply with traffic light signals [RTA88 S36(1); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 S2 (10)] 504 500 389 524 534 565 
			 Driving on prohibited road[RTRA84 SS5(i), 16 and 20] — 1 4 8 1 — 
			 Other offences of neglect of traffic directions [RTA88 SS35 (1) and (2), 36 (1), 163; RTRA84 S28 (3); Traffic Management Act 2004, S6] 23 17 19 28 13 15 
		
	
	(10) Covers Southend and includes parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.
	(11) Includes findings of guilt at South East Essex PSA and at Southend Crown Court.

Fireworks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firework-related prosecutions occurred in (a) England and Wales, (b) Wales and (c) the South Wales Police Force area in (i) 2002, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2004.

Hazel Blears: The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database on prosecutions for firework offences are shown in the table.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences relating to fireworks, England and Wales, 2002–03 1
		
			   South Wales PFA Wales England and Wales 
			 Offence description Principal statute 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc. public place Explosives Act 1875 S.80 Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol, etc.) Act 1985, S2A(1) 1 1 5 2 63 48 
			 Being in possession of fireworks etc. in or when entering a designated sports ground  — — — — 5 3 
			 Contravention of regulations —offences under S.12 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 18 3 20 6 272 170 
		
	
	(12) These data are on the principal offence basis
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	Firework offences can also attract penalty notices. When penalty notices for disorder were introduced in 2003–04, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, they included the offence of throwing fireworks under section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875. Three further firework offences were added to the scheme from 11 October 2004. These were made under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 (under section 11 of the Fireworks Act 2003) and cover breach of the national fireworks curfew, the illegal possession of category 4 fireworks and possession of an adult firework by a person aged under 18.

Immigration/Asylum

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applicants for asylum who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK who have served, or are serving, custodial sentences for crimes committed in the UK in each of the last five years for which there are records, have been (a) returned to their country of origin and (b) had their status revoked; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many applicants for asylum who have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK who have served, or are serving, custodial sentences for crimes committed in the UK in each of the last five years for which there are records, have been (a) returned to their country of origin and (b) had their status revoked; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Prison Service does not record information on deportation orders on the Inmate Information System. Information on the number of persons held in prison who are the subject of a deportation order is not therefore available except by examination of individual case-files, at disproportionate cost.
	The number of asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom as a result of deportation action is given in the following table. There is no information on whether these cases would have been deported immediately after completing a prison sentence, without examining individual files at disproportionate cost.
	
		Persons removed from the United Kingdom as a result of deportation action, 1999 to 2003
		
			  1999 1 2000 1 2001 2 2002 2 2003 3 
		
		
			 Persons removed(16) 1,210 1,280 450 415 — 
			 Of whom:  
			 Principal asylum applicants(17)140 145 85 100 — 
			 Non-asylum cases 1,075 1,140 365 315 — 
		
	
	(13) Deportation figures may be under-recorded in 1999 and 2000.
	(14) Figures for 2001 and 2002 have been estimated.
	(15) Data were not of sufficient quality for publication in 2003, however it is estimated that 480 persons were removed as a result of deportation action in this year. Due to poor data quality this is not an official statistic.
	(16) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
	(17) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage. Excludes dependents of asylum seekers.
	Deportations are a specific subset of removals alongside persons subject to administrative removal, removal due to illegal entry action or those refused entry at port and subsequently removed. Information on the number of asylum seekers who have been deported in 2004 is not currently available. This is due to be published this summer in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2004".
	Information on the number of asylum applicants who had been granted leave to remain in the UK and then had their status revoked is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration/Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down the numbers of people who migrated to the UK in each of the last three years by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity.

Des Browne: The latest published statistics on the number of people granted indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in the UK by age and gender are given in the table.
	This information is published annually in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" available from the Library of the House or via the Home Office website at www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	Data on the ethnic origin of persons granted settlement are not collated and are therefore not available.
	
		Table 5.2: Grants of settlement on removal of time limit, by broad nationality, gender and age 1,excluding EEA nationals, 2003(19): United Kingdom Number of persons
		
			 Geographical region Children (under 16) 16–24 25–34 35–44 45–59 60+ Adults (16 and over) 
		
		
			 All nationalities
			 Male 13,270 8,000 20,915 12,245 5,240 1,790 48,195 
			 Female 12,630 14,760 26,550 12,695 5,620 3,105 62,730 
			 Total 25,900 22,765 47,470 24,940 10,860 4,895 110,925 
			 
			 Europe (excluding EEA)
			 Male 1,230 925 2,195 1,070 410 75 4,680 
			 Female 1,165 1,835 4,075 1,370 595 180 8,055 
			 Total 2,395 2,765 6,265 2,440 1,010 260 12,735 
			 
			 Americas
			 Male 1,630 680 2,150 1,645 805 215 5,490 
			 Female 1,655 1,080 3,260 2,085 1,005 295 7,725 
			 Total 3,280 1,760 5,410 3,730 1,810 510 13,215 
			 
			 Africa
			 Male 5,635 2,475 5,825 4,800 2,050 540 15,690 
			 Female 5,330 3,140 6,570 4,350 1,990 915 16,965 
			 Total 10,965 5,615 12,400 9,150 4,040 1,455 32,655 
			 
			 Asia
			 Indian sub-continent
			 Male 2,035 2,670 5,510 2,050 860 565 11,660 
			 Female 1,885 6,515 4,205 1,290 695 1,035 13,740 
			 Total 3,920 9,185 9,710 3,340 1,560 1,600 25,400 
			 
			 Middle East
			 Male 525 320 665 510 235 115 1,845 
			 Female 480 445 660 420 190 215 1,930 
			 Total 1,005 765 1,325 930 425 330 3,775 
			 
			 Remainder of Asia
			 Male 1,795 735 2,295 1,510 605 220 5,370 
			 Female 1,750 1,430 5,190 2,585 870 390 10,470 
			 Total 3,550 2,165 7,485 4,095 1,475 610 15,840 
			 
			 Asia
			 Male 4,355 3,725 8,470 4,070 1,705 905 18,875 
			 Female 4,110 8,395 10,055 4,295 1,755 1,640 26,135 
			 Total 8,470 12,120 18,520 8,365 3,460 2,545 45,010 
			 
			 Oceania
			 Male 305 90 2,135 600 240 35 3,100 
			 Female 285 200 2,430 505 215 35 3,380 
			 Total 590 290 4,560 1,105 455 70 6,480 
			 
			 British Overseas citizens and other countries  
			 Male 115 105 145 55 30 20 360 
			 Female 85 110 165 95 55 40 470 
			 Total 200 220 310 150 90 60 830 
		
	
	(18) Excludes 2,865 persons given settlement on arrival, for which an age analysis is not available, and a further 1,795 persons whose ages are not available.
	(19) Provisional.
	Note:
	Data rounded to the nearest 5.

Immigration/Asylum

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of central Government grants to each local authority to support asylum seekers was in each year since 1996–97.

Des Browne: The information is not available in the precise format requested. Information for the 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 is not available. Available information for the years 1999–2000 to 2004–05 is in the following table.
	
		Local authority grant rates—per week of support £
		
			   Category/year (rates shown represent maximum grant available) 
			   1999–20001, 5 1999–2000 2, 3, 5 2000–01 2001–02 4 
		
		
			 Adults London boroughs(27) 140.00 140.00 140.00 140.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 140.00 140.00 140.00 140.00 
			   
			 Families London boroughs(27) 240.00 240.00 350.00 350.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 240.00 240.00 240.00 240.00 
			   
			 Large families London boroughs(27) 240.00 240.00 350.00 380.00 
			  Non-London boroughs 240.00 240.00 240.00 270.00 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (U16) Up to 100 claimants n/a n/a 400.00 400.00 
			  More than 100 claimants n/a n/a 575.00 575.00 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (016) Up to 100 claimants n/a n/a 200.00 200.00 
			  More than 100 claimants n/a n/a 300.00 300.00 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   Category/year (rates shown represent maximum grant available) 
			   2002–03 4, 7 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Adults London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Families London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Large families London boroughs(27) (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			  Non-London boroughs (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (U16) Up to 100 claimants 420.00 (26)— 670.00 686.75 
			  More than 100 claimants 575.00 (26)— 670.00 686.75 
			   
			 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (016) Up to 100 claimants 220.00 (26)— 300.00 307.50 
			  More than 100 claimants 300.00 (26)— 300.00 307.50 
		
	
	(20) Prior to Royal Assent of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999—up to 5 December 1999.
	2 Post Royal Assent of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999—6 December 1999 onwards.
	(21) Post Royal Assent, overspends in the adults or families category were allowed to be offset in the other, hence actual rates paid may be higher in one or other of these categories from this point on.
	(22) For the period 1 April 2001 to 7 November 2002 UASC aged 16 and 17 who had applied for asylum prior to their 16th birthday and were still being cared for under Sect 20 or Sect 23 of the Children Act 1989 could be claimed.
	5 In 1999–2000 grants for UASC were paid by DoH and not MASS.
	6 From 2002–03 onwards individual rates were set for each local authority for adults and families, based upon actual spend in 2001–02 and increased for inflation.
	(23) Rates shown for UASC in 2002–03 were paid for the period up to Royal Assent of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act on 7 November 2002, subsequent to this individual rates were set for each authority based unit costs in 2001–02 adjusted for inflation.
	(24) Rates for London boroughs were also paid to several adjacent local authorities with similar costs.

Immigration/Asylum

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people resident in Stoke-on-Trent who are applying for asylum are (a) male, (b) female, (c) married and (d) single; and how many have children.

Des Browne: Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives.
	The table shows the numbers of people supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) resident in Stoke-on-Trent as at the end of September 2004. These data are analysed by gender and whether the person is a single applicant, an applicant with dependants or a dependant of an applicant. Details of age, marital status and number of children are not available.
	
		Table showing asylum seekers supported in (A): NASS accommodation 1, 2, 3 and (B): in receipt of subsistence only support from NASS 1, 3, 4 Stoke-on-Trent as at end Q3 2004
		
			  Male Female Total 
		
		
			 NASS accommodation  
			 Single applicants 100 395 495 
			 Applicants with dependants 55 25 80 
			 Dependants (29) 85 65 150 
			 Total 240 485 725 
			 
			 NASS subsistence only
			 Single applicants 5 25 30 
			 Applicants with dependants * — — 
			 Dependants(29) * — — 
			 Total 5 25 30 
		
	
	(25) Figures have been rounded to nearest 5 and are provisional, with * = 1 or 2.
	(26) Asylum seekers that have been allocated NASS accommodation and have been confirmed as having arrived in that accommodation.
	(27) Excludes cases where support has been ceased by the National Asylum Support Service.
	(28) Asylum seekers receiving subsistence only support from the National Asylum Support Service.
	(29) A dependant is defined as any person who accompanies the support applicant in the UK and will need to be supported.
	Analyses of these totals are based on internal management information and as such are not of sufficient quality to be published as National Statistics.
	Corresponding figures for those not in receipt of NASS support are not available. In addition some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
	Numbers of asylum seekers placed in MASS accommodation and numbers who are in receipt of subsistence only support from MASS, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 (October to December) will be available on 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Juvenile Travel (Parental Consent)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether a 16 to 18-year-old domiciled in the UK requires written or verbal permission from a parent or guardian to leave the UK (a) under any circumstances, (b) when purchasing a one-way ticket abroad, (c) when travelling to EU destinations and (d) when travelling to non-EU destinations;
	(2)  if he will take steps to harmonise guidance protocols across the European Union regarding children aged 16 to 18-years-old attempting to leave the UK without the consent of their parents or legal guardians;
	(3)  what authority parents or legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age have to prevent or delay them from leaving the UK;
	(4)  how many children aged (a) 15 or under and (b) 16 to 18 years of age (i) attempted to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians and (ii) were detained in the course of attempting to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians in each of the last 10 years;
	(5)  how many children who have been reported missing in each of the last 10 years are believed to have left the UK;
	(6)  what training and written guidance is given to (a) staff at ports and airports, (b) police at ports and airports and (c) police, regarding children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without the knowledge or consent of their parents or legal guardians;
	(7)  what guidance his Department provides to parents and legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without their knowledge or consent.

Des Browne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate no longer routinely operates an embarkation control and immigration officers have no powers to prevent a person from leaving the United Kingdom, and therefore the information requested is not collected.

Mr. Richard Watson

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the results were of the investigations into how the written parliamentary questions tabled on 11 October by the hon. Member for Thurrock relating to the murder of Richard Watson were lost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will publish in the Official Report, the letter of 2 December from the Minister of State for Crime Reduction to the hon. Member for Thurrock, concerning Mr. Richard Watson.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 13 and 20 December 2004
	Ministers make every effort to answer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines and especially before Prorogation. However this is not always possible and sometimes, as in the case of the nine questions tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock referred to in the above question (204164), complex information has to be obtained from both within and outside the Department before it can be answered substantively. In the case in question it was not possible to provide substantive answers to the questions before Prorogation.
	For this reason I wrote to the hon. Member for Thurrock on 2 December 2004 providing him with the information he had requested and arranged for a copy of the letter to be placed in the House Library. The Official Report cannot publish the written correspondence between myself and the hon. Member, however, the main text of the letter is as follows:
	"On the issues you raised concerning the murder of Richard Watson the Chief Constable of Sussex Police advise me as follows:
	(a) The purpose of the meeting of 24 January 2003 with Mrs. Henderson was to ensure that she and her daughter were updated with the progress of the re-investigation. Following that meeting, in March 2003, a suspect was arrested and interviewed, which subsequently led to papers being passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for advice in May 2003.
	 (b) The re-investigation, which was headed first by DCI Wood and then, from April 2002, by DCI Dennis has now been completed. On the 26 May 2003, a file of evidence was forwarded to the CPS concerning one specific suspect who found that there was no basis for a prosecution in relation to the case papers provided to them. The case is not, however, closed and any new lines of inquiry that emerge will be fully investigated.
	 (c) The Chief Constable did not record the complaint of Mrs. Henderson for two reasons. Firstly, Mrs. Henderson's complaint referred to complaints about the original investigation, which had already been dealt with. Secondly, the remaining points raised about the re-investigation did not amount to complaints about the conduct of individual police officers, but related to operational matters all of which were subsequently addressed by the restructuring of the force approach to critical incidents. The Secretary of State has no powers to review a Chief Constable's decision not to record a complaint under Section 69(1) of the Police Act 1996.
	 (d) A full and unqualified apology was provided to Mrs. Henderson in a letter dated 31 October 2003. Press releases were available from 9 December 2002 to 8 October 2004. All of these press releases contained repeated apologies, personally made, to Mrs. Henderson and her family.
	Following the Inquest, on the 8 October 2004, a public apology was posted on the Sussex Police public website acknowledging its failings in the case and accepting that there were serious failings in the original investigation. The apology also included an acknowledgement that Mrs. Linda Watson and her daughter, Ms Amanda London-Williams, were innocent of all charges in relation to Richard Watson's murder.
	This latest statement is available to anyone visiting the site and has been supplied to the Daily Express and Sunday Express following specific requests.
	(e) The report of the Police Complaints Authority's supervised investigation by the Metropolitan Police into Sussex Police's investigation of the murder of Richard Watson belongs to Sussex Police. It has not been published and is protected by public interest immunity and will continue to remain so unless directed otherwise by the Courts. The Secretary of State is therefore not in a position to place a copy in the Library.
	(f) The original investigating officer overseeing the inquiry retired from Sussex Police on 30 May 1998 on completion of over 30 years' service. He would have faced disciplinary charges for his conduct of the investigation had he not already retired from the Police Service. There is no mechanism whereby retired officers can face disciplinary proceedings.
	 (g) The Chief Constable formally referred a file of papers relating to the murder of Richard Watson to the Crown Prosecution Service on 26 May 2003.
	(h) Sussex Police received the Metropolitan Police's report into the investigation on 28 April 2000."

Prisons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates there are at HMP Holloway; what the average period of stay was of an inmate at that prison at the last date for which figures are available; and what the average number of remand prisoners in the institution was in the last period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The population of HMP Holloway was 377 on 30 November 2004, of which 185 were remand prisoners. The average remand population at the prison for the year December 2003 to November 2004 was 273. The average time served (including remand time) in HMP Holloway for a sample of sentenced prisoners discharged in 2003 was 47 days per episode.
	The information is as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, and data on average time served is provisional.

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the performance against targets of the national probation service during the period of April to September 2004 was; and what assessment he has made of the implications of that performance for the (a) quality of service and (b) cost effectiveness provided by the service.

Paul Goggins: The performance of the national probation service (NPS) in meeting its targets for April to September 2004 is set out in the table alongside its performance for 2003–04.
	
		
			  2003–04 April to September 2004–05 Percentage 
			 Performance measure Target Achieved Target Achieved point change 
		
		
			 Enforcement within 10 days  
			 Percentage 90 77 90 85 +8 
			   
			 Compliance  
			 Percentage 70 63 70 65 +2 
			   
			 Compliance including orders allowed to continue  
			 Percentage — — 70 79 — 
			   
			 Offending Behaviour Programme Completions  
			 Number 15,000 13,136 7,500 6,827  
			 Percentage — 88 — 91 +3 
			   
			 ECP completions  
			 Number — — 11,850 17,518 — 
			 Percentage — — — 148 — 
			   
			 DTTO starts  
			 Number 9,000 8,519 6,078 4,847  
			 Percentage — 95 — 180 (36)-15 
			   
			 Basic Skills Starts  
			 Number 16,000 14,971 11,520 13,353 — 
			 Percentage — 94 — 116 +22 
			   
			 Basic Skills Awards  
			 Number 4,000 2,815 2,960 3,302  
			 Percentage — 70 — 112 +42 
			   
			 Sickness  
			 Number days 9 12.3 9 11.5 -0.8 
			   
			 Victims contacted  
			 Percentage 85 91 85 (37)93 +2 
			   
			 Timeliness of Pre-Sentence Reports  
			 Percentage 90 65 90 78 +7 
		
	
	(36) Although DTTO starts were down, this was against a higher target. There were in fact 864 more DTTO starts in April-September 2004 than in the equivalent period in 2003.
	(37) April to June 2004.
	The comparison illustrates the real improvement that the NPS has achieved on most of its main service delivery targets, including those, such as basic skills, that were increased for 2004–05.
	The budget for probation areas has increased by two per cent in real terms in 2004–05. Much of this increase relates to funding capacity-building for the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and so is not directly related to the increase in performance. It is fair to say, therefore, that the improved performance has increased the cost-effectiveness of the NPS, so improving the value for money of the service delivered to the community.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office spend on advertising and publicity since 1996–97 is as follows:
	1996–97
	£5.23 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £8.328 million. Campaigns included car crime, recruitment of special constables, fire safety and electoral registration.
	1997–98
	£1.4 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £3.372 million. Campaigns included recruitment of special constables, fire safety, absent voting and electoral registration.
	1998–99
	£1.8 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £4.194 million. Campaigns included smoke alarms, recruitment of special constables, crime partnerships and electoral registration.
	1999–2000
	£5.65 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £10.08 million. Campaigns included chip pan safety, recruitment of special constables, European parliamentary elections and electoral registration.
	2000–01
	£28.63 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £35.637 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime and the recruitment of police officers.
	2001–02
	£14.4 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £25.1 million. Campaigns included fire safety, vehicle crime, internet child protection, drug misuse, recruitment of police officers and special constables and postal voting.
	2002–03
	£9.9 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £18.3 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, firearms amnesty and the recruitment of police officers.
	2003–04
	£12.487 million on advertising in a total advertising and publicity budget of £22.083 million. Campaigns included vehicle crime, internet child protection, drugs, recruitment of police officers and domestic violence.
	Figures for 2004–05 will be available shortly after the end of the financial year. We do not have estimated advertising and publicity costs for future years—this will be subject to ministerial approval on an annual basis.

Alcohol-related Disease

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the incidence of alcohol-related health problems in people over 60.

Melanie Johnson: Information on hospital admission, where the primary diagnosis or cause code shows the admission was alcohol-related is shown in the table. Other data on incidence of alcohol-related health problems is not available specifically for the age range "over 60".
	
		Counts of finished in-year admissions where there was a primary diagnosis code or cause code for selected alcohol related diseases. Age at admissions 61 years plus. National health service hospitals, England 2003–04
		
			 Primary diagnosis  Admissions 
		
		
			 F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol 3,267 
			  F10.0—Acute intoxication 842 
			  F10.1—Harmful use 399 
			  F10.2—Dependence syndrome 908 
			  F10.3—Withdrawal state 737 
			  F10.4—Withdrawal state with delirium 108 
			  F10.5—Psychotic disorder 32 
			  F10.6—Amnesic syndrome 60 
			  F10.7—Residual and late-onset psychotic disorder 121 
			  F10.8—Other mental and behavioural disorders 8 
			  F10.9—Unspecified mental and behavioural disorders 52 
			 K70 Alcoholic liver disease 2,588 
			 T51 Toxic effect of alcohol 50 
			 Cause code  
			 X45 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol 32 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the datayear. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3. The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects.
	4. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	HES, Department of Health.

Cancer

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will set a deadline for ending the current variation in the prescribing of anti-cancer drugs as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee in its Report on tackling cancer in England, HC 166;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the relative contribution of (a) delay in referral from general practitioners and (b) delay in carrying out diagnostic tests to late diagnosis identified by the Public Accounts Committee in its report on Tackling Cancer in England, HC166 of (i) cancer, (ii) brain cancer, (iii) lung cancer, (iv) breast cancer, (v) prostate cancer, (vi) childhood leukaemia and (vii) cancer of the gastro-intestinal tract.

Melanie Johnson: We are considering the recommendations in the Public Accounts Committee report and will respond in due course.

Cancer

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources he is making available to the National Cancer Research Institute and Clinical Studies Group on Alternative Therapies; and what assessment he has made of research in this area.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 18 January 2005
	The Department is contributing £130,000 a year toward the running costs of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) and currently plans to make available some £7.6 million over the period 2004 to 2010 in support of NCRI's work programme.
	The work of the NCRI complementary therapies clinical studies development group is supported by the co-ordinating centre for the national cancer research network. The network is funded by the Department.
	The Department issued a call for research proposals on "The role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the Care of Patients with Cancer" in the summer of 2002. Three projects were commissioned as a result, details of which can be found on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/research/. Two of these projects are due to end later this year and the third in 2006.
	The Department supports research capacity in CAM through its £3.4 million complementary and alternative medicine personal award scheme. Two calls have successfully created a cohort of 18 CAM researchers at the doctoral and postdoctoral level who are working on a broad range of research issues.

Dioxins and PCBs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has conducted into the levels of (a) dioxins and (b) PCBs found in (i) wild salmon, (ii) farmed salmon and (iii) flame retardants; and what figures were produced by that research.

Melanie Johnson: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that samples of salmon were included in a survey for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine fish carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1994–96 and a further study by the Food Standards Agency in 2003. The levels which were found are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Dioxins PCBs Total 
			 Survey Salmon type (number of samples) nanograms World Health Organisation Toxic Equivalent/kilogram fresh weight 
		
		
			 (1994–96) Farmed (3) 0.8–0.9 2.2–2.7 3.1–3.5 
			  Wild (1) 0.9 1.3 2.2 
			  Unspecified(38) (8) 0.6–1.0 1.6–3.0 2.2–4.0 
			 (2003) Farmed only (3) 0.5–0.8 1.5–2.0 2.0–2.8 
		
	
	(38) Five samples were labelled as "retail salmon" and three just as "salmon".
	We have not conducted a survey of flame-retardants, which, like dioxins and PCBs, are environmental contaminants, in salmon, although a survey is currently looking at dioxins, PCBs and brominated flame-retardants in farmed and wild fish and shellfish.

Drug Rehabilitation

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation (a) units and (b) beds have been established in Stoke-on-Trent in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: There are no drug rehabilitation units or beds in Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke-on-Trent drug action team commissions rehabilitation services from outside the area.
	Full details of drug rehabilitation units can be found on the National Treatment Agency's (NTA) residential services directory at www.nta.nhs.uk/residentialdirectory/index.html. The NTA has published this information from summer 2003. Data before this date is not available.

General Practitioners (Southend-on-Sea)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were on general practitioner lists in Southend-on-Sea in (a) 1990, (b) 2000 and (c) 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The number of patients registered with a general practitioner in the Southend-on-Sea area for 1990 is not held centrally. However, the numbers of patients registered with a GP for the years 2000 and 2003 (latest published data available) are shown in the table by primary care group (PCG) for the year 2000 and primary care trust (PCT) for the year 2003. However, the Department is not able to map boundary changes between PCGs and PCTs the PCG data is not directly comparable to the PCT data.
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs) 1 for Essex SHA and specified PCGs/PCTs: 1991, 2000 and 2003 2 Numbers (headcount)
		
			   1991 2000 2003(40) 
		
		
			 Essex strategic health  authority Q03 1,578,918 1,648,879 1,690,519 
			 Of which: 
			 Castlepoint PCG 4NK20 — 84,542 — 
			 Rochford PCG 4TQ56 — 84,565 — 
			 Southend-On-Sea PCG 4KH89 — 174,881 — 
			 Castlepoint and  Rochford PCT 5JP — — 173,946 
			 Southend-On-Sea PCT 5AK — — 177,522 
		
	
	(39) UPEs include General Medical Service unrestricted principals, Personal Medical Service (PMS) contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	(40) 2003 Patient data has been revised from previously published figures.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 1991 and 30 September 2000 and 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Health Service Staff (Stoke)

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) administrative staff are employed in the (i) Stoke-on-Trent North Primary Care Trust, (ii) Stoke-on-Trent South Primary Care Trust and (iii) North Staffordshire University Hospital Trust.

Stephen Ladyman: Table 1 shows the number of doctors, nurses and administrative staff at North Stoke Primary Care Trust (PCT), South Stoke PCT and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust.
	Table 2 shows the whole time equivalents (WTEs) at each organisation.
	
		Table 1: Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical and dental staff(41), general medical practitioners (GMPs)(42), qualified nurses including practice nurses and admin, and clerical staff(43) for selected organisations, as at 30 September 2003
		
			  All doctors of which:  
			   HCHS doctors(41) General medical practitioners(42) Qualified nurses (including practice nurses) HCHS admin. and clerical(43) GP practice admin. and clerical 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 71 1 70 406 229 n/a 
			 South Stoke PCT 70 0 70 364 121 n/a 
			 University Hospital of North  Staffordshire NHS Trust 575 575 0 2,148 1,270 n/a 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical and dental staff(41), general medical practitioners (GMPs)(42), qualified nurses including practice nurses and admin, and clerical staff(43) for selected organisations, as at 30 September 2003
		
			  All doctors of which: 
			   HCHS doctors(41) General medical practitioners(42) Qualified nurses (including practice nurses) HCHS admin. and clerical(43) GP practice admin. and clerical 
		
		
			 North Stoke PCT 64 1 63 266 187 176 
			 South Stoke PCT 66 0 66 256 170 146 
			 University Hospital of North  Staffordshire NHS Trust 570 570 0 1,858 1,126 0 
		
	
	(41) Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(42) All practitioners includes general medical service (QMS) unrestricted principals, personal medical service (PMS) contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, GP retainers, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career schemes and GP returners.
	(43) HCHS administrative staff are made up of senior managers and managers and admin and clerical staff.
	n/a—not available
	Note:
	GP WTE data has been estimated using the results from the GMP workload survey: full-time = 1.00 WTE, three quarter time = 0.69 WTE, Job share = 0.65 WTE, half time = 0.60 WTE.
	Sources:
	Department of Health QMS and PMS statistics.
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census.
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce statistics.

Healthy Living Initiatives

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of (a) healthy living centres and (b) healthy lifestyle workers to public health; and if he will make funding available to ensure their continuation.

Melanie Johnson: Healthy living centres (HLCs) support the work of statutory and voluntary organisations in reducing health inequalities and improving health in local communities. The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) and the Department have commissioned evaluations of the programme for the United Kingdom and England respectively. Interim findings are available on the BLF website at www.nof.org.uk. The final reports are due later this year.
	The Department allocates no funding centrally to HLCs. Primary care trusts and other statutory bodies are able to support local HLCs from their allocations as part of their local delivery plans for health improvement.
	The health improvement workforce in the national health service provides leadership and training in health improvement, supporting local communities and developing a health-promoting NHS. However, healthy lifestyle workers, as such, do not form a recognised group which can be evaluated formally.
	In the White Paper, "Choosing Health", the valuable contribution of community-based workers is described, for example those in the voluntary sector. But such support is patchy and fragmented and therefore, from 2006, accredited NHS trainers will form part of the wider workforce geared towards prevention of ill health and as part of a comprehensive health improvement service. They will be providing support to people in disadvantaged areas and, progressively from 2007, across the country. The funding details will be published in due course.

Local Authority Caring Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authorities have sought determination from him in relation to which local authority is responsible for people for whom more than one local authority had a caring responsibility in each year since 2001; and how many decisions on such determinations he has made in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The number of local authorities that sought determinations of "ordinary residence" under section 32(3) of the National Assistance Act 1948, and the number of those determinations made in each year since 2001 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of applications made Number of determinations made 
		
		
			 2001 5 1 
			 2002 2 1 
			 2003 5 5 
			 2004 5 6

MRSA

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children (a) contracted MRSA infections in hospitals and (b) died from MRSA infections in each of the last seven years.

Melanie Johnson: The Health Protection Agency's voluntary reporting system is the only national dataset providing information by age on cases of methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) bloodstream infections. This is shown in the table. The system does not distinguish between infections acquired in hospital and those acquired elsewhere.
	
		Reports of MRSA blood isolates in Englandin children aged 0–14 years
		
			  Number of reports 
		
		
			 1997 28 
			 1998 40 
			 1999 60 
			 2000 68 
			 2001 66 
			 2002 71 
			 2003 81 
		
	
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency.
	Data on deaths from MRSA are not available, but a study by the Office for National Statistics, which reviewed death certificates from 1997–2002, revealed MRSA as a contributory factor or underlying cause for one child under 16 in each of the years 1997–2002.

MRSA

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that district nurses are informed that a patient discharged from hospital contracted MRSA while in hospital.

Melanie Johnson: Current professional guidance already recommends that general practitioners and other health service workers involved in the care of patients with methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" infection and colonisation should be informed when they are being discharged.

MRSA

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA were reported at (a) Scunthorpe Hospital and (b) Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby in each year for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: Reported cases of methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals national health service trust, which includes Scunthorpe Hospital and Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby are shown in the table. Separate figures are not available for each hospital in the trust.
	
		
			 Period Number of MRSA bacteraemia reports MRSA rate per 1,000 bed-days 
		
		
			 April 2001 to March 2002 36 0.13 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 34 0.12 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 28 0.09 
		
	
	Source:
	Reports under the mandatory MRSA bacteraemia surveillance system—Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust.

NHS Choice Pilot Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS choice pilots schemes have been subject to formal external evaluation; what plans he has to distribute the results of these evaluations to (a) primary care trusts and (b) strategic health authorities; and what plans he has to commission external projects to evaluate other NHS choice pilots.

John Hutton: The coronary heart disease choice pilot was formally evaluated by the Picker Institute in 2003. The largest choice pilot, the London patient choice project, has been formally evaluated by three separate organisations on different strands of its work. The final reports on the London pilot will be available shortly for circulation.
	The Department commissioned the research organisation Dr. Foster to undertake a research study on the implications of offering choice in three strategic health authorities—Trent, Dorset and Somerset, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The findings of this research have been shared widely and are available under patient choice research on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/policyandguidance/patient choice/fs/en.
	Evaluation of the south cataract choice pilot will be starting shortly and the findings will be available later this year. In addition to these formal evaluations, the pilots have generated valuable learning for the implementation of choice which is being shared with primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. Other national health service choice pilots are evaluated locally.

Parkinson's

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which the needs of those who suffer from Parkinson's disease are being met; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which nursing specialists can contribute to the meeting of these needs.

Stephen Ladyman: The national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions, due to be published soon, will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease—including those with Parkinson's disease. As part of the work in producing this NSF, an external reference group drawn from service users and carers as well as professionals and voluntary groups has advised on the content.
	The Department has commissioned the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop guidelines for the diagnosis, management and treatment of Parkinson's disease in primary and secondary care. Due to be published in 2006, they will provide guidance on the care pathway for treating Parkinson's disease and getting the balance right between primary and secondary care interventions.
	The development of Parkinson's disease nurse specialists (PDNS) has been a key step forward in providing better care closer to home for those with this disease. The Parkinson's Disease Society has published a report, "Changing Roles—The Impact of Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists", showing that PDNSs improve the quality of life for individual patients and their families and carers, without raising the cost of care.

Supported Living

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the Government has allocated for the support element of supported living in the next three years;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place for co-ordination of the housing, support/care, day services elements of supported living; and who is responsible for that co-ordination.

Stephen Ladyman: Local authorities and health trusts are required to work together to develop and co-ordinate services to support people in all aspects of independent living in the community.
	These services are funded through the local authority personal social services (PSS) budget and the supporting people programme. Figures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ billion 
			  Total resources for adult PSS Supporting people 
		
		
			 2005–06 11.526 1.72 
			 2006–07 11.842 1.70 
			 2007–08 12.313 1.70

Grammar Schools

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils are enrolled for grammar schools in Northern Ireland; and what the change in enrolment numbers has been since the baseline figures used by the Costello Inquiry.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 304W.

Invest Northern Ireland

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in the last three financial years on acquiring equity in local companies.

Barry Gardiner: The amount that Invest NI has spent in the last three financial years acquiring equity in local companies is as follows:
	
		
			£ 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 to date 
		
		
			 Locally owned companies 3,475,000 8,454,500 2,823,026 
			 Local companies owned by  GB parent 1,350,000 599,997 0 
			 Local companies owned by  overseas or ROI parent 0 2,177,179 0 
			 Total 4,825,000 11,232,276 2,823,026

National Assets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which assets (a) the Northern Ireland Office and (b) the Northern Ireland Departments plan to dispose of in each of the next three financial years.

Ian Pearson: The following table lists the assets which the Northern Ireland Office and the 11 Northern Ireland Departments currently plan to dispose over the next three financial years. In respect of the 11 NI Departments, further work will be undertaken on this issue in taking forward the NI Investment Strategy, and in the context of the Lyons Report "Towards Better Management of Public Sector Assets".
	
		
			  Financial year 
			 Department 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 NIO Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			  Housing stock with a total value of £3.6 million 
			 
			 DARD 1 Dwelling Land at Tullywiggan (0.42 hectares) — 
			  Plot of land at Loughall (25 acres) Land at Stifehill (1.28 hectares) — 
			  Plot of land at Crossnacreevy — — 
			  Land at Walkways (18.2 hectares) — — 
			  Land at Tullyhogue (20.5 hectares) — — 
			  Land at Oldstone Road (0.42 hectares) — — 
			  Landrover — — 
			  3 Renault vans — — 
			  4 vehicles — — 
			  4 houses — — 
			  Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DCAL Lough Melvin Car Park, Gavros, Garrison, Co. Fermanagh — — 
			  Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DE Over 300 PCs—to be replaced   
			  2 motor vehicles over the next three years 
			 
			 DEL — — Training Centre at Felden, Newtownabbey, subject to alternative accommodation being found for training activities 
			 
			 DFP 17/19 Rainey Street, Magherafelt Armagh House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast — 
			  — 20 College Gardens, Belfast — 
			  — 25/27 Church Street, Antrim — 
			  — 178/180 Shankill Road, Belfast — 
			  Fixed assets in the areas of ICT, transport, and plant and machinery are subject to various rolling replacement policies and individual assessments 
			 
			 DETI None None None 
			 
			 DHSSPS Hillcroft Special Care School, Newtownabbey Portion of Central Services Agency Building at Adelaide Street, Belfast Ormeau Road Health Centre, Omagh 
			  Land at Donaghanie Road, Omagh (40 acres) Balance of site behind Drumreagh College, Omagh (18.6 acres) — 
			  4.75 acre site at Drumnakilly Road, Omagh Fields 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (70 acres) at Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick — 
			  Drumreagh College Site, Omagh (18.41 acres) 15.96 acres at Drumcoo, Enniskillen — 
			  15 acre site at Muckamore Abbey Hospital Watterson's Farm, Omagh (40 acres) — 
			  18 acre site at Scroggy Road, Limavady — — 
			  0.75 acre site at Scroggy Road, Limavady — — 
			  Field 27, 28 and 29 (20 acres) at Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick — — 
			  0.68 acre site at Omagh General Hospital, Omagh — — 
			 
			 DOE Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 DRD Routine IT and office equipment rolling replacement 
			 
			 OFMDFM Former Royal Irish Regiment base, Magherafelt — —